Method of preparing consumer packages



May 20, 1930. c. BIRDSEYE IETHOD OF PREPARING COISUIER PACKAGES- I-iled June 24 1929 fmmm 'mnnsm or cnoucas'rna, meson-.3! imam: as

stems, 'ro nosrnn roons comm, me, or Dom nanawamt, a ooarou- 'rroir or nmwm 1 y mnon or mums cousum racxasas Application as June 24, m9; Ierlal Io. marl; i

I This invention relates to methods of paring consumer packages ofperishable products, and more particularly to such methods as are characterized by a freezing i I. i"

My invention is concerned with-the 1mportant and diflicult roblems'of ackaging munit" uantities perishable ood'products sue for example, as fish, meat, fruit or vegetables, and in accomplishing this without loss of the essential characteristics of the fresh foodstufl, protectin it against desic-' The process of quick-freezing, as will be un-' derstood, preservesfresh food substances general, and notably fresh meat or fish, 1n

substantially its fresh condition without de terioration 1n the mechanical construction of its tissue, substantially lesseningautolysis, putrefaction and oxidation, reserving the f vitamin content and eliminating loss of savoryv and nutritive constituents when the :1 30- productis thawed. v In one important aspect, 4

my invention consists in preparing a con- 4 I sumer package of. quick frozen product. in

such fashion as to achieve the resul ts above set forth and at the same time facilitate the 2' quick-freezing step.

I In carryin out my'invention, I pack the fresh pro not, which is usually in a moist pliable condition, within walls-adequate to orm it into a defined'solid shap'e while leavu" ing one or more' faces substantially unco'n-j fined. The mass or bod of the product thus formedis then enclose within a pellicle or thin flexible skin, which serves torotect the 3 product against contamination an oxidation and makesof it a self-contained unit. By

'*. employin'tg for the pellicle a moisture and vapor-proo material, such for example as moistureroof cellophane, the product is also guar ed against desiccation and since. such material is transparent the product maybe substantial area directly i OFFICE.

critically inspected at all times without disturbing its wrapping. I then press the thin pelllcle into intlmate contact with the body of the'formed product bnengaging it over a with 'a flat heatconductive member. Fmall the enclosed bod is quick-frozen throng the a n ofthe eat-conductive member which a c ts v vith particularrapidity and eflicieney' in that it is a separated from the product tobe frozen only by the very slight thickness ofthe pellicle which itself is not of heateinsulating charm- 'ter. #Moreover, on. account of its flexible character, the pellicle permits the enclosed product to flattenand conform itself a ainst the. face "of the heat-conductive mem er so that practically complete surface contact is 1 J ensured and this contributes tothe efliciency of the uick-freezing -operation.

I now, for purposes of illustratiom 'lo,

proceed to describe the m'annerin which the method of my invention may be carried out in preparing consumer packages of fresh fish, the steps of the method being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which.

v Fig. 1 is a view in persgective of a lined sh and-ready for carton packed with fresh closing;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the closedcarton, with portions broken awaya Fig. '3 is a view in rspective showing a packed carton of mod fied form; and a perspective showing the' acked carton in posltion for quick-freezing, tween the heat-conductive member ofa 're- Fig. 4 is a view ,in

frilgnerating apparatus. prepari aconsumer package of fresh fish by the met 0d of my invention, I preferably employ a cardboard carton 10 having a bottom 12; This has vertical walls ofsuflicient strength to contain the fresh moist fish- 20 and to impart to it a definite rectilinear solid shape. The carton may be of any commercial except that its cover is cut away leaving. 0 y y a narrow strap 14 which is connected to the flap 16, ada ted to be tucked in behind the front wall of t e carton.

' The carton is firstlined with a very thin sheet material 18, such for exam le as moisture pr0of cellophane, and then t e fish 20 in the form of separate piecesor fillets is packed within the lined carton. This foodstufi' is moist and pliable so that it acks together is folded and conforms to the walls of t e carton with a minimum of waste space. Having completed the acking, the cellophane lining 18 own over the contents, forming a substantially moisture-proof and vaporroof enclosure. The cover stra olded down and the flap 16 tucke into place, as indicated in Fig. 2, completing the closing of the carton. In this figure the cellophane lining 18 is represented as having a small flap torn in it but this is for pur oses of illus-- tration only and it will be un erstood that ',the packed fish is practically hermetically sealed against loss of moisture or contact wit va liler by the cellophanex Fig.3'is shown a carton similar to a that already described, except-that its bottom panelis formed as a series of straps 36 which expose a substantial area of the cellophane lining 18. The carton 30 is provided with a top, comprising a single strap-32 connected to a fla 34, which is tucked behind the front wall 0 the carton when the latter is-closed.

Havinglpacked the carton, it is next placedm 00 'n mg application, Serial No; 290,976,-

ed uly '7, 1928. In that apparatus the lower band 42 is supported by guides 45 for movement in a redet'ermined path while the upper heat-con uctive member is pressed into engagement with the carton 10 b weights 44, one of which is shown. The ban' s areth refrigerated to a temperature approximately F.v by spray pipes 41 and.

43, which deliver to the outer faces of the a spray of calcium chloride brine orsuitable liquid refrigerating medium. 9;.-

presenting the'carton 10 between the heat-conductive bands 40- and 42, the cellod whenever phane li n 18 is directly an or example, in

t is ex inthe carton.

- the carton 10 the entire upper surface of the cellophane is directly engaged except the portion beneath themarrow strap 14. In

andling a:- carton such as the carton 30, shown in F' 3, then per surface of the cellophane 1 is similar y engiiged while its lower surface is engaged t roughout the areasbetween the narrow bands 36 of the bottom. The result -is that the thin flexible; transparent tgellicle is p into intimate contact wi the packed fish and that the latteris flattened at'itsopposite sides into close conformity to the opposed'surfaces of the heat-conductive bandsr In this W3,

" an extremely favorable conditionffor qui freezing is brought about'as intimate contact of the product and the heat-conductive hands 'over a substantial area is ensured. More,-

i ever, the material of the pellicle is extremely 14 is then'i pellicle 18 is transparent and when flattened and pressed against the contents of the carton it becomes almost invisible, so that the contents may be critically inspected without in any way destroying the integrity of the pack- The-quick-frozen package produced, in accordance with my invention is solid and hard and the packages may be handled, stored and transported like so many bricks. 'While the temperature. of the carton emerging from the quick-freezing apparatus -is approximately 4 5 F., it may be maintained indefinitely in storage at any tem erature below its thawing point and, as alrea y pointed out,

during such interval it is substantiall .protected from desiccation b the -mo1stureproofcharacter of its enve opin pellicle.

I have described the method 0 my invefi tion as practiced in connection with cartons cutawayso as to expose the contents thereof at itsu per or lower" faces but it will be understood that the location of the exposed pellicle-covered face of the product is of secondary importance only and may occur 1. The,v method of preparing consumer wherever it is best suited to therequirements 'of the particular product and carton to be em loyed.

nib

packages of a' perishable food .product, which consists in enclosing the product in a containei' having wallsto shape the product and a surface-presenting a substantial area of thin flexible pellicle, and then freezing the, product, while so shaped. and confined,- by

contacti'of a heat-conductive member coextensive with its pellicle-covered area. 2. The. method of preparing, consumer "packages of a perishablejfood product, which walls for shaping the product and upper and lower surfaces cut away-in substantial areas;

covering "the product with a thin pellicle where it exposed at such cut away areas,

and then freezing the product while so conpellicle, and quick-freezin the rectangular body into a hard brick by mtimately engaging the same over its pellicle-covered areas with flat heat-conductive members.

4. The method of preparing consumer packages of a fresh moist food product, which consists in lining with cellophane a carton having intact vertical walls and partially cut away top and bottom, filling the lined carton with the product and shaping the contents to the interior of the carton so that it is completely enclosed b the cellophane lining, confining the fille carton between heat-conductive members which directly engage said cellophane lining, finally nick-freezing the contents of t e carton b a sorbing its heat principally through its cellophane-covered surfaces.

- 5. The method of preparing consumer packages of perishable food product, which consists in shaping the product into a brick by packing it within vertical walls, covering its upper and lower surfaces with a thin pellicle, pressing said pellicle into intimate-contact with-the shaped product by engagin it directly upon opposite sides by heat-con u tive members, and quick-freezing the interposed article through the agency of said heatconductive members.

6. The method of preparing consumer I packages of perishable food product, which consists in shapin the product into a brick by packing it wit in vertical walls without substantially confining its upper and lower faces, completely enclosing the sha ed product within a thin pellicle, pressing t e pellicle into intimate contact-with the shaped product upon its upper and lower faces by engaging it directly between flat heatconductive members, and simultaneously quick-freezing it.

7. The method of preparing consumer packages of fresh fish, w ich conslsts in formmg a rectangular mass of moist pliable fish by packing pieces thereof within a carton having vertical walls which surround the mass without substantially confining its up.- per face, completely enclosing the formed mass in moisture-proof cellophane, pressing the cellophane into intimate contact with the upper face of the mass by engaging it directly by a flat heat-conductive member, and simultaneously quick-freezing the carton and enclosed mass into a solid brick.

8. A consumer package comprising a solid frozen brick of fresh food product completely enclosed in a thin transparent substantially moisture-proof pellicle. flattened into intimate contact with opposite sides thereof and frozen thereto, and a carton having side walls which encase the brick and a. top and bottom with o enings to expose its upper and lower pellic e-covered surfaces. CLARENCE BIRDSEYE. 

